Rule 105 Limiting Evidence That Is Not Admissible Against Other Parties or for Other Purposes

Sometimes evidence can be used for one reason but not another, or against one person in a case but not someone else. For example, a statement might be allowed to show what someone believed, but not to prove what actually happened. When this comes up, the judge has to make it clear to the jury how they can and cannot use that evidence.

The judge does this by giving the jury instructions right when the evidence is presented, explaining its limited use. If a lawyer asks for it, the judge also has to put these instructions in writing. This keeps the jury from misusing evidence in ways that could unfairly hurt one side of the case.

The only time the judge does not have to do this is if everyone agrees to skip it, or if the limits get challenged and overcome during the trial. Otherwise, the judge must take these steps to keep the trial fair.